Xiaomi’s second-generation Redmi Note was released a couple of months ago, and it started shipping just weeks ago, but you still can’t buy it directly if you happen to live in the west. Are Europeans and Americans missing out? Yep, they surely are.

It could be argued that Xiaomi drove the value phablet craze to new heights with the original Redmi Note, and with the Redmi Note 2 it’s raising the bar a tad higher. The company has tried to develop a competitive product that would best the competition in just about every aspect, and it did a good job.

The Redmi Note is based on MediaTek’s Helio X10 processor and it’s available in two versions. The standard version comes with a 2GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, while the “Prime” model comes with 32GB of on-board storage and a 2.2GHz processor.

The screen size hasn’t changed, it’s still 5.5 inches, but this time around it’s a 1080p display rather than a 720p unit. The rear camera is a 13-megapixel job, while the selfie cam comes in at 5 megapixels.

With prices starting at $169 via resellers like Gearbest, the Redmi Note 2 sounds like a good deal, and it is. But wait: Xiaomi is no longer alone in this market segment. It has to take on other mainland China brands like Meizu and Lenovo. Some big brads with a foothold in western markets have also joined the budget phablet space, along with dozens of smaller brands.

Is the latest Redmi really better than the marginally cheaper Meizu M2 Note and Lenovo K3 Note? Let’s take a closer look.